Ashley
Ashley had always been proud of her long, thick, golden brown hair. It cascaded down her back past her waist like a rich, velvety waterfall, with subtle waves that seemed to shimmer in the light. She loved the way it framed her heart-shaped face and accentuated her bright green eyes.
However, not everyone shared Ashley’s enthusiasm for her long locks. Her sister, Charolette, had always been jealous of Ashley’s hair. Charolette’s own hair was a mousy brown, thin and straight, and she often found herself feeling envious of Ashley’s luscious mane.
One day, Charolette asked Ashley to join her at the salon for a hair trim. Ashley agreed, thinking it would be a fun bonding experience for the sisters. Unbeknownst to Ashley, Charolette had also invited their mother, Marissa, to join them.
As they arrived at the salon, Marissa greeted them with a warm smile. “I’m so glad Charolette invited me to come along,” she said, eyeing Ashley’s long hair. “I’ve always thought your hair was a bit too long, sweetie. It’s time for a change.”
Ashley felt a surge of unease, but Charolette reassured her that it was just a trim. Karen, the stylist, greeted them warmly and began to work on Charolette’s hair.
As Charolette’s haircut progressed, Karen turned her attention to Ashley. “Okay, sweetie, let’s get you in the chair,” she said, smiling.
Ashley hesitated, but Charolette and Marissa encouraged her to go ahead. As Karen caped Ashley and began to work on her hair, Charolette sat down in the chair next to her, a sly grin spreading across her face.
Karen started by sectioning off Ashley’s hair, carefully combing out each strand before snipping it with her scissors. But instead of just trimming the ends, Karen began to cut higher and higher up the shaft, the scissors slicing through Ashley’s hair with a soft crunching sound.
The hair fell to the floor in a huge mound, the golden brown locks cascading around Ashley’s feet like a waterfall. Charolette watched with a mixture of excitement and satisfaction, her eyes gleaming with malice as she watched her sister’s beautiful hair fall to the floor.
As Karen worked, Marissa sat back and enjoyed the show, a smile spreading across her face. “This is exactly what you needed, Ashley,” she said, nodding in approval. “You’ll look so much better with shorter hair.”
Ashley began to feel a sense of unease, but she didn’t realize the full extent of the haircut until Karen sectioned out her bangs and cut them right above her eyebrows. Ashley’s eyes widened in horror as she felt the cool scissors slice through her hair, the bangs falling away from her face like a curtain.
Something was very wrong. Ashley’s heart began to pound in her chest as she realized that she had been betrayed. She tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat.
Karen smiled sweetly at Ashley. “Don’t worry, sweetie, you’ll love your new look,” she said, spinning Ashley around to face the mirror.
But before Ashley could even process her new reflection, Marissa spoke up. “You know, I think we can take it even shorter,” she said, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Why don’t we cut it into a pixie cut?”
Charolette’s eyes lit up with excitement, and Karen nodded in agreement. Ashley’s eyes widened in horror as she realized that her hair was going to be cut even shorter.
As the scissors sliced through her hair once again, Ashley felt like she was in a nightmare. She couldn’t believe that her own sister and mother were conspiring against her, cutting off her beautiful hair without her consent.
When the haircut was finally finished, Ashley stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes filling with tears. Her long, beautiful hair was gone, replaced by a short, choppy pixie cut that made her look like a completely different person.
As they left the salon, Ashley felt like she was walking out of her own body. Just an hour before, she had walked into the salon with the most beautiful hair down past her waist. Now, it was all gone, cut off without her permission.
The contrast was stark, and Ashley felt like she was mourning the loss of her own identity. She couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever be able to forgive her sister and her mom for what they had done.
